A Chronicle of Darkness
by digitalrogue01
Summary: All my life, I've been stressed with problems that not ordinary people could solve. Am i just a Heart, or am i shell of one? I know i had one once, but the images are blurry. I see familiar faces and remember old times- old times where we would sit and just eat ice cream and train all day. Remember? I don't have Sora's memories. I do have one that helps me through it all. Ventus.
1. Chapter 1

He was my friend, there til the end and a little after. I needed him as much as he needed me. I wanted to just dive into the darkness and retrieve them- but of course, my life isn't as easy as one expects. I'm still a human, right? I can't walk through walls or use heat vision. I don't dare say I can't fly cause, well, I can. I was a 1st CLASS SOLDIER. Sadly, being in this warrior unit came at a cost. I was a living experiment just like everyone else. Hogo wanted the perfect copy of an Angel and got Monsters as the end total. I was probably meant to be a Monster too, just like Zack, but before the darkness could attack, the light came back and defended the rest of my heart. I don't have a lot rest, and most of it went into my friends, my family. I have so many hearts connected to mine.

Please, don't mistake me standing on the ledge of light or darkness, about to plummet into one or the other. Sometimes, we have to live with both. There can't be light without darkness, nor darkness without light. They have to be balanced in a perfect harmony- not the light overpowering the dark or the dark over the light.

Huh, harmony. A word that isn't used a lot anymore. I used to enjoy looking at that heart-shaped star in the sky, but knowing that I help making it bigger for the Nobodies' sake makes me want to puke. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I am pretending to work at Organization 13. With this, yes, they took most of my light memories away, and replaced them with horrible nightmares of the light attacking me, trying to kill me repeatably. I hold back the tears I want to cry, the anger that could possibly destroy everyone within a billion light years from me. I have to remind myself sometimes Xehanort will try to mess with me, especially me because I was once one of his vessels for the x-blade.

I remember all the members from the Organization. They were all young bodies with dreams for the light, sharing it with everyone too. Some of them worked at Disney Castle in the Gardens. Some were some of the scientists for the king, only becoming the living vessels for Xehanort's true Organization 13. Despite these facts, they are lead to a false dream- of receiving their own hearts as Nobodies from Kingdom Hearts. They don not expect me to know this, but I do, and even if I wanted to tell them I would be eliminated.

This is my own story which I have chosen to write down in a journal for the sake of those like me. My friends depend on me and I refuse to let them down. I can't bear to make the same mistake twice. For now, as of the Organization's rule, my name is Zexial, number XII replacing another member after a rouge accident. And hey, once you read this, don't dare put it away, I need more comrades for Twilight. The balance is wrecked and broken, I need help to restore the bond. This is, the Darkside Chronicles- the chronicles of how the masters were brought back and the darkness was reduced and the war is won for the light.

To wrap it all up, my true name was Mako. I am a warrior from the world where the darkness stuck first. I can use the darkness, but if I use it too much I go mad from the battle in my heart. The light I have left is diminishing at the second. My friends are scattered across the worlds and aren't of much help.

The worlds need my help from being overruled by the dark. I am the Dragon of the universe. My heart is both ruled for the dark and light. Don't worry, it's hard to get me pissed.

Standing on the edge of Twilight Town, readying my corridor for my RTC. I feel the presence of another behind me.

"What do you want?"

"The memories are almost ready. You have the rest." he said. I held my hand and opened the portal to my room.

"No. They aren't _his _memories I have. He might have just lost a couple. No matter- he'll get them back anyway. You have already stated that there's nothing he can't do, right/" I walked into the portal. My room was white with a bed and a side table. On it, I kept the only thing I can actually remember from my days before the organization. A gray metal star with a chain connected to it. I observed it often, wondering and trying to remember my days. My memories are fading away every night with the dreams I have. The others don't complain, not that I have, and awaken with shining faces. Saix has confronted me with the lack of sleep I've been having. Laying awake for nights on end, just because of those stupid nightmares. For now, I lay down, looking outside at the phenomenon called Kingdom Hearts grow from the hearts I collect._Oh yeah.. _I forgot that the new member number twelve arrived with the power of the keyblade. I held out my hand to reveal my own, dark and gray with a shining resemblance to my sword that lay under my bed- probably collecting dust by now. Slowly my eyes drifted off into a sleep. I could not loose more precious memories. The problem with this is,

Xehanort is alive, and younger than before.


	2. Chapter 2

The field was dark. Guns were fired and screams of pain broke out of the silence. I felt pain in my arms, my leg was broken and I couldn't see my next step. Suddenly, I felt a burn run from the side of my eye to the other side of my nose. I tried to grab my face, but felt nothing but the burn. I saw the X-Blade being forged from the old students of Master Xehanort.

Is it possible to see the future? I hope not.

I saw a young boy, dead on the ground next to the rest of our group. I cried in pain and fear, a cry I never uttered before. I dropped to the ground. The platform glowed with a golden light. In it, I felt the keyblade in my power, the Ancients chose me. Then I saw a young couple, walking into the light. LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT. Always the light? The light was always there when I was at the worst of times. I hated it. I was a cruel thing, an accident from the start of time itself. Then another feeling flooded through me. Deeper than hatred, insanity grow on top of the place where trust and love was. I felt the Monster inside of me. I saw myself from an angle. The wing was ragged and dark with not a hint of an Angel anywhere. A nightmare. A living nightmare come to haunt me forever, no matter who won the war. A curse. A mad, destructive curse.

The world knew me as a great hero of SOLDIER but only because they didn't know the real hero. Now that my past is being wiped away, I can't remember the details much ether. I guess that's just my luck. Love hurts. Truth hurts. The darkness hurts. And, protecting whatever you have left hurts more than it all.

I lay up in my bed and rub my sweated brow. I looked out at Kingdom Hearts and the river of hearts that joined with it. I got up and walked through the hallway. As I strolled to receive a mission, Demyx came out. I squinted. We dashed to the couches, trying to win the end seat- our favorite seats. I pushed him at the last second and jumped onto the couch successfully.

"Hah!" I pointed at him. He picked up his sitar and stomped lazily away.

"No fair..." he grumbled. Then Axel walked in next to Saix.

"Hey." he waved. I lifted a hand and slumped down in the cushion. After them, everyone else followed. Including the new guy- Roxas. I have to say, something about that boy made me feel emotion and responsibility over him.

"Axel, today you will help Roxas learn the basics." Saix stated plainly.

"Why did I get stuck with baby-sitting?" he rubbed his neck.

"Yeah Saix, I think it would be fair if he got some help." I recommended.

"Actually, Zexial, you have been given a post at Twilight Town today. Put that blade of yours to work." Something about that made Roxas' head stand for a moment before drifting back to a dead weight. Hastily, I opened a corridor and stepped through.

"Aah...feel that air." I spread out my arms and got a good whiff. Three children ran over, playing a game. Every day, I waited to come here. I waited to sit on the clock tower with Axel and enjoy a sea-salt ice cream at sunset. He would tell how he and Roxas were once great friends, and I would say that he'd remind me of someone familiar. On the contrary, we weren't supposed to, given the fact that our hearts were gone.

"What does it trigger then?" I asked him once. He hugged his knees and explained.

"I think that since we once had hearts, we have a bit of memory from before that isn't really,, truly ours." I know I have another's memory, but I knew it was also mine now. It wasn't from a Nobody, or even a great somebody. Just, a friend- his memory. I kept it, held onto it to keep myself from the lake of Darkness flooded around me.

I thought of this as a couple Neoshadows appeared from the shadows.

"Huh, bring it you monsters.." I called my keyblade. The came closer. I counter attacked and dug my blade into each of the pits that made them. Hearts floated up and I watched. This is what I fought for- a heart.

Nobodies don't have hearts. My friends- Axel, Saix, the other members-they are Nobodies too. I wanted to be like them and cherish the feeling of actually existing among the rest of the world. And if using the darkness of others' hearts got us there, then so be it.

"I wonder how they're doing..." I thought about Axel and Roxas. Yeah, we were all at one point in life shy or afraid, but that boy was just lost of something. Heart. He was at a loss of Heart- just like the rest of us. I gave him credit for the keyblade, now I wouldn't have to take on every task by myself anymore.

"A zombie," Axel called him. "he'll get over it soon." But something about him made me feel _responsible _for him. I don't even know the kid, but whatever.

I started through the rest of town, exterminating any Heartless I found. As I went down a lane, three kids ran by, smiling and yelling back at each other.

"Oh come on, Hayner! You got a head start!" one boy called to the other. They stopped and rested for a moment.

"No, you guys got the head-start this time, remember? Cause you guys only made it to the bench before I was in front of you." The boy named Hayner heaved through breathes.

"Last one to the tower is a rotten egg!" the girl took off down the street again. Honestly, I wanted to be apart of them- laughing and playing, being apart of their group.

"That'd be nice..."

"Hey, what are you doing here Zexial?" I looked behind me and saw Axel leading Roxas from the train station. "We finished here. He's okay, but he could do better. You should show him the ropes."

I put up my arms. "Oh, nah. I'm good for today, it's like they knew I'd be coming." I chuckled.

"Well, uh, they'll be expecting us a little later. So what should we do until then?" he looked back at Roxas, not lifting his head from his feet.

"Well, what do you want to do, Roxas?" He picked his head up his head and turned towards the setting sun. I turned north and said,

"I have an idea."

A couple minutes later, we were on top of the station and staring high above Twilight Town licking cold ice cream.

"Nice. Just nice." I sighed as I threw the stick behind me.

"So how do you feel Roxas?" Axel softly punched his shoulder. Roxas gave a slight smile.

"I'd like to do this again soon." Me and Axel glanced at each other for a moment.

"Well, we can't exactly do it _every _day. But we can whenever we're together or something." I explained slowly. "Besides, it's not like we're gonna separate forever. I know we'll be eating a lot of sea-salt ice cream this summer." I chuckled. We started throwing ourselves against each other and laughing. Finally, we all watched the remains of the sun.

"Hey, Roxas. Do you know why the sun sets red?" Axel broke the silence. I shoke my head,Roxas peered over.

"Because blue and purple are out of style?" I guessed.

"No, idiot. See, light is made up of many colors- but red travels the furthest."

"Yah, well good for you smarty-pants."

I wouldn't have guessed that something this good was so very wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

"You want me to do what?!" Saix asked me to report to Xemnas for a one-on-one announcement.

"He wishes to speak with you immediately. Go before you go on your mission today." he stated.

"Alright. But I won't go willingly." I teased. He walked away silently without a reply. "Bunch of robots I have to live with," I sighed. I pulled open a portal and walked through, transporting myself to the Round Room and into my chair.

"Zexial, you actually came." he said, putting emphasis on the Z.

"Look, old man, it's pronounced Zexial, not Zzzexial. Okay? Why's my Organization name different from my true name anyway?"

"You, are different than the rest of us. You, the one who can manipulate others' minds during amidst a battle, can use the keyblade and all of it's powers. Also, you are the 14th Nobody. You are special, and call for a special name. But that's not why I called you here."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's cut the chat and get on with it. What do ya want? Do I need to baby-sit Roxas or something?" I waved my hand around and swung my legs around and into my chair. He didn't seem the least irritated.

"There is a traitor among us. And I need you to figure out who it is." he said with no expression. He truly was the master of Nothingness. "And, they are somehow finding a way to spoil our plans and actually helping our destruction." I gasped.

"Seriously? I mean, you're not joking? Who would do this? We're all Nobodies, so why?"

"I don't know, and don't care. We need to stop it before we get obliterated. I am sending you and several others to Castle Oblivion. They will be Marluxia, Axel, Larxene, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, and you. Don't let the traitor escape from the castle. Do you understand the mission?"

"I understand."

"Good. Now, hurry back and complete your recon with Roxas."

"Roxas? Are you kidding me? Why do I have to go with him?"

"You should be a wonderful role model for the boy. Show him the way of the Keyblade. Do it for us, for our Hearts. For your Heart." He urged.

"Fine." I groaned.

I did what had to be done at the castle, and the Organization members sent there - Marluxia, Larxene, Zexion, Lexaeus, and Vexen-, save myself and Axel, were eliminated. With the traitors defeated, we were able to return to the headquarters with the news. Turns out, we did a fabulous job, and were released with a three-day-pass to do whatever we wanted, then return to work. But who could forget the tragedy that occurred at Castle Oblivion? It stuck to me in my thoughts, and eventually my dreams, even now I ponder it.

"Say, Zexial, hows about we bother ol' Roxas for a day. He's in Twilight Town right now doing recon, I say we give him a little hand," Axel swung by my room. I sat up from my position on the bed and started walking to the door.

"Yeah. Imagine how much he's missed us. To bad, too. I don't think I've missed him that much despite the long distances apart. Then again, I hardly know 'em." I responded. I thought about the times we'd gone to the train station for sea-salt ice cream. "But I do kinda miss having someone to share ice cream with."

"Now we're talking!" he closed the door and opened a corridor to the small world. I went in and waited for the other end to open. When it did, I immediately raced forward and through it before Axel and ran through the alleyways of Twilight Town.

"Last one buys ice cream!" I shouted behind me.

"No fair!" I jumped onto the rooftops and hopped from building to building, ahead of him. I heard a clank, then a grunt. Something poked at my gut and fueled me on. I summoned my blade and throw it down to a large area, the Square of the town. A Heart floated up. Roxas took the blade and analyzed it before realizing it was mine.

"Zexial!" he exclaim with joy in his voice. After a few seconds, Axel ran up from a mile away and pushed on his knees.

"You cheated," he huffed with a smile. "Hey, Roxas. Is your job finished? I'm in the mood for something salty-sweet right now!"

"Yeah." I rested a hand on his shoulder and looked at the boy. "Something salty, sweet, and something Axel here is gonna pay for. Right, _loser-boy?"_ He reached up and punched my shoulder. After a preach about not rubbing a win in someone's face, we retreated to the tower with Axel's hard earned delicacy ice cream.

"I don't want these times to end." Roxas finally stated. The sun began to shine a bright orange-red again over the horizon.

"Yeah, I can agree." I said.

"I can agree more if we don't take more running classes." Axel pushed me into Roxas.

"Guess it's time to brush up then, huh slow poke?" I throw my popsicle stick at him.

"No, it means that we don't need to run everywhere."

"You guys are a joke." Roxas said quietly, but with a slight smile. _That_ smile. The same smile _he _gave me.

My head began to hurt when I went to sleep that night, and the dreams weren't pleasent. But then again, it's me were talking about.


End file.
